NYPD officer charged in more than 100 robberies of drug dealers

A 17-year veteran of the NYPD has been indicted on charges of armed robbery, narcotics trafficking and illegal use of a firearm, and prosecutors say he allegedly committed at least one of the crimes while on duty in his Harlem precinct.

Jose Tejada, 45, was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport Wednesday after returning from the Dominican Republic, officials said. He was off-duty at the time of his arrest.

The indictment adds Tejada as a defendant to a previously filed indictment against a violent robbery crew responsible for more than 100 armed robberies of narcotics traffickers in New York City.

Authorities say Tejada has been linked to three robberies in the Bronx in 2006 and 2007 that netted thousands of dollars in cash and cocaine. During one of the robberies, Tejada was on duty and in uniform and used his status as a police officer to gain access to a private residence in the Bronx where drug dealers were believed to be living, according to the indictment.

According to court documents, Tejada allegedly helped members of a violent robbery crew pose as police officers by supplying them with NYPD equipment. He also allegedly used his status as a police officer to search confidential law enforcement databases and see if his crew members had outstanding warrants.

More than 20 members of Tejada's alleged crew have been convicted in connection with the ongoing case, including another NYPD officer and an auxiliary officer, prosecutors said.

If convicted of the narcotics and firearms charges, Tejada faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Attorney information for him was not immediately available.